The Wife of Bath in The Canterbury Tales

During the late Middle Ages, the majority of society deemed women as inferior to men. In Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, the Wife of Bath represents a nontraditional role for women of that time. A woman's role customarily did not include a voice in society, religion, or government. The Wife of Bath's history includes five marriages, numerous lovers, and three trips to Jerusalem. The Wife of Bath's character steps outside tradition in both the physical …

…personal rights within her marriages. Being knowledgeable and sophisticated allows her the freedom for self-expression and self-satisfaction. Her illustration establishes the value of women in all aspects of life. In the literary world, the Wife of Bath provides a fascinating and dynamic character worthy of attention. In the physical world, she may have stood beside other heroines such as Sojourner Truth, Margaret Sanger, and Mary McLeod Bethune in an effort to lead us to equality.